Hellos and Goodbyes
by Dobby's Socks
Summary: Just as Jack gets to meet Clara, the Doctor finally gives him the horrible news. A continuation of my AU Jack and Eleven series starting with "Don't Stop at Hello" covering so far the end of S5 through S7, set post "Bells of St. John", mentions of Doctor/River and character death, rated for alcohol use and language


**Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow American readers! To everyone else, Happy Thursday! Of course, this one isn't super happy. Sorry about that. So I'm just going to promise right now that a "Day of the Doctor"-themed one is in the works, but I thought I'd do this one first. A few of you said you'd like to see Jack meet Clara, so here it is. Enjoy!**

**Dobby's Polka-Dotted Sock**

**Hellos and Goodbyes**

Jack was back at the bar. As much as he enjoyed the—often hectic—visits from his time-traveling friend, sometimes it was nice to just kick back and relax in an old haunt surrounded by normal, linear humans. It helped him remember why he did the work he did, gave him access to some nice eye-candy, and maintained a grip on reality.

"And here I thought you were taking me somewhere special for cocktails," a feminine voice drifted to his ears from the door, sounding both amused and scolding at the same time. Ok, either someone else had lost their grip on reality, or his break was about to be interrupted.

Sure enough, when Jack turned to look, the Doctor was standing in the doorway looking about in mild confusion, accompanied by a young woman. She was rather short in a very cute red dress, with brown hair pulled into a simple ponytail, showing off more of her pretty face. Jack remembered River's description from last time vividly: _Clara_.

"Well I set the coordinates, but the TARDIS seems to have landed here by mistake."

"Wouldn't be the first time."

The Time Lord looked down at her indignantly as she smirked. "Oi, coordinates are very tricky! One tiny alteration could make a difference of light-years."

"Nice of you to show up in this light-year, Doc," Jack called, and the two turned to him, one with a look of recognition and the other confusion.

The Doctor clapped his hands together. "Ah, there we go, must be time for a visit with Jack! Your night is saved, Clara, Jack is very good company—provided you don't let him get too carried away." He began leading the young woman over who had raised an eyebrow at this dubious assessment of his character.

"Hey, don't start warning her off me just yet," he laughed, patting the two empty barstools one on either side. It was a slow night so far, though none of the other patrons paid them any attention. Perhaps they didn't care or had grown used to these nonsensical meetings.

She looked between the two of them for a moment before choosing the seat to Jack's right and holding out her hand. "Clara Oswald."

"Pleasure to meet you, Clara," he greeted, stowing the last name in the back of his mind. He then took her hand and kissed the back, causing her to regard him bemusedly. "I'm Captain Jack Harkness."

"Pleasure. So was this meeting planned or do you normally sit around in bars all night?"

Without missing a beat he said, "If I do, it's only cause I'm waiting for a pretty girl like you to walk in."

She shook her head, meeting the Doctor's eyes just over his shoulder where the alien had taken the stool on the end. "You weren't kidding, he's worse than you! Give him an in and he'll take it, won't you Captain?"

He shrugged with an easy grin. "What can I say? So, how's the universe?"

She looked considering and met the Doctor's eyes once before deciding, "Awesome. That is when we're not almost dying."

Jack laughed with her. "Yeah, that's not something that goes away when he's around."

"Oh, so now it's my fault?" The Time Lord interjected, looking rather affronted.

"Yes," Jack and Clara answered at the same time, causing both of them to laugh again. The Doctor practically pouted and turned slightly away in the stool.

"And to think I put up with this abuse."

"Never mind him," Jack waved a hand in the other male's direction, "he likes the ones who challenge him. Speaking of, how's the delightful Professor Song?" So maybe it wasn't his best segue, but he'd gotten to like River, and gotten to like seeing the Doctor with River. He wasn't going to complain at meeting Clara, but he'd have liked to be able to check in with his favorite married Time Lords.

There was a pause, only slight, but there. "Fine, just fine." The tone was light to go with the pleasant smile on his friend's face, which was just as good as a blank wall for judging what he was thinking.

Clara's question, however, was more telling. "Who's Professor Song?"

"Mutual friend," was the quick reply before Jack could get a word in. She didn't see the incredulous expression he faced the Time Lord with since she was on his other side, and the Doctor did a good job of remaining oblivious to it.

He was about to open his mouth when Clara stood. "Well, I'll leave you a minute to catch up on mutual friends. Which way's the loo? Might as well take the opportunity now."

"Uh, that way," Jack pointed it out helpfully.

The Doctor gave a well-worn sigh. "There is a bathroom on the—"

"Hologram leopard, Chin Boy. Hologram leopard." She began walking away, calling over her shoulder, "You know what I'll have."

"Right," the alien said, turning from Jack once again to motion the bartender over. "Can I get a drink for the lady? Nothing for me, thanks."

Jack waited as patiently as he could until the bartender walked away. The Doctor still hadn't faced him and he couldn't read his expression, but he knew already he was going to have to start this conversation. "Doc, what the hell?" It carried none of the warmth or surprise as usual.

"Jack, it's not—" The other started softly, but as he had yet to even meet his eyes, he felt justified in talking right over him.

"It's not? Then what the hell was that 'mutual friend' bit? Your _wife_ is a mutual friend?" He downed what remained of his drink, feeling the burn in his throat as he shook his head. Jack was doing his best to keep his voice down, but he could feel some of the old anger and resentment for the Time Lord that he had harbored after Satellite Five, only now this time it was on behalf of someone else. "You know, it's funny, cause I stuck up for you. River was practically drinking herself under the table and mad as hell, but I stuck up for you. So why doesn't Clara know who she is?"

"They haven't met—they won't—"

"Oh, this just gets better!" He gave a short, bitter laugh. "Come on, Doctor, that's not going to pass. You could've just told her, you should've told her—"

"Because that would fit in nicely after the whole I'm an alien who travels through time and space? Not enough shock value for you?" The words were bit out, and the Time Lord's head almost jerked to look at him, but his fringe still shaded his eyes.

"Why not? People say it all the time, 'Oh, by the way, I have a wife'—"

"Had."

Jack froze, the air stolen from his lungs for a moment. "What do you mean?"

The Doctor finally faced him, and what Jack saw both frightened and saddened him. His friend's eyes were big and watery with dark bags underneath indicating a severe lack of sleep, his skin was pale and he seemed almost too thin like eating hadn't been a priority of late, and all about him hung a feeling of tremendous grief the likes of which he hadn't seen since after the Ponds, but with a strange sort of defeated air to it.

"I had a wife," he repeated quietly. "But River, she's- well it's more complicated than you might think but—" The alien sucked in a breath and put a hand to his mouth briefly, shaking his head and blinking his eyes rapidly for a moment. What was odd, though were the little puffs of air that escaped as a laugh.

"Doc?" He prompted nervously. The other male wasn't really looking at him anymore, his gaze fixed on some undefined point.

"I can't say it. After all this time, I can't—I've never told anyone. I don't even know if I can."

"Is she ok?" He decided to try a simple question, though he had a sinking feeling that nothing about this was going to be simple.

His friend blinked and his eyes flicked back to Jack's face. "Ok, I suppose. Yes, she's good, fine, safe—gone."

He couldn't help both the frustration and dread from leaking into his tone. "That doesn't make any sense. Where is she?"

"In a computer. Saved to the computer, actually."

"What? Wait, add on a where, when, and why to that."

The Time Lord took a shaky breath to collect himself. "She's been saved to the hard-drive of the Library computer, the planet I mean. Oh, centuries ago for me."

"Doc." He took hold of one of his friend's hands, which weren't flapping around as he spoke for once. "Help me out. What happened?"

The Doctor squeezed his hand briefly, whether to reassure him or to seek assurance, Jack didn't know. Then he let it slip from his grasp so he could run his hand through his hair once. "I told you long ago that meeting in the wrong order has its problems. I didn't tell you the worst of it. The day that I met River, the reason I spent—no, I wasted—so much time running from her, was because it was her last."

Jack's heart dropped into his stomach. Since the past tense use of 'had', he'd been waiting to hear that confirmation, but he hadn't been near ready. "But she can't be—" It was a foolish, naïve protest, one that his age and experience shouldn't have allowed. But thinking of the confident, sexy archeologist and then seeing the resigned man before him was almost too much.

"You're right," the Doctor nodded once in acknowledgement. "That's the worst of it all—she didn't have to. She did it to save my life, save our timelines, Jack, but it _should've_ been me. I was going to die." He said it with such simplicity that it shocked Jack, and he looked at his friend whose eyes were only just containing the water that threatened to leak from the corners. But the Time Lord continued to speak plainly, "My last regeneration, I wouldn't have even made it to this face. If I'd known, I would've- I don't know, I would've done something."

"But what about the computer?" It was all Jack could do to get those words out.

The Doctor gave a wan smile. "It holds a semblance of her consciousness, giving it form and life inside a virtual reality. Nothing more. There's no way of bringing her back or getting her out of there. She _is_, but not really."

He sat there a moment, trying to wrap his head around it. At last, a thought occurred to him, and carefully he asked, "Is that…fair? To her?"

The Doctor looked at him sadly. "I don't know if I'd have been able to _look_ at her if I hadn't felt I tried something, Jack."

He nodded, doing his best to understand. To look at someone and know that about them…it was one thing when they traveled to the past to meet some famous person, but for someone you knew and cared for intimately? "And that was the first time you met? God, Doc, I'm sorry." The other male just nodded wordlessly, and he couldn't help asking, "But why are you telling me this now?"

His friend released a heavy breath. "Because I think she's truly gone, Jack, for good. As far as I know we've no more meetings left, and I've seen her off to that doomed team of Lux's."

Jack sat up a little at the name. "Wait, River mentioned him once, when I met her. She asked you to drop her off at an appointment with him…to talk about the trip to the Library?" He recalled the stricken look on the Time Lord's face when she'd said it, the way his entire being had become depressed. When the Doctor only glanced away and nodded, Jack thought it broke his heart a little. "Oh god, Doc. I wish I'd—you should've told me then."

"What would be the point?" The low tone of voice did nothing to lift Jack's spirits. "I'm not even sure if I should be telling you now. Because that," he gestured at Jack's dismayed face, "that is why I've said nothing to Clara about River. Why I've said nothing about so many others, about my first wife even. I'm just a madman in a box, Jack, that's all I'm allowed. And I know the mystery and secrets can seem intriguing, alluring even." He smirked a little, though the scorn seemed directed inward. Then he looked at Jack and the smirk transformed ever so slightly into a real, gentle smile. "But you all, you come to see the stars, the universe, to be amazed, and the last thing you want to hear of is the danger, the loss." The smile was gone now, and his voice grew almost hoarse. "And all my secrets are the names of the dead. Who wants to sit there and listen to an old man talk about everyone he's ever lost, eh? Who wants to be friends with a widower?"

And flailing limbs or admonishments aside, Jack leaned forward and wrapped his arms around his friend. The Doctor froze for a moment, seeming confused and just a tiny bit scared, before Jack felt hands clutching tightly at the back of his shirt and the weight of the Time Lord's head resting fully against his shoulder. The alien's breath was coming in ragged gasps, but Jack just rubbed circles on his back and tucked his head under his chin, waiting it out. When he was sure the other was able to listen, he spoke.

"I would want to be. In fact, I'm glad I am. Only wish you'd come to me right away, instead of waiting for the TARDIS to dump you here."

"You think that's what happened?" The Time Lord muttered before giving a weak chuckle. "Ah, she probably did. Old Girl always knows what I need." Clearing his throat once, the Doctor patted him on the back and pulled away. Jack let him go, and pointedly looked away as the other swiped at his eyes for a few seconds.

"I won't say anything to Clara," he found himself agreeing to the unspoken request. He knew, after all, how important the ability to just keep going and put things in the past was to the Doctor. Perhaps it wasn't the healthiest or best way, but it was the only way he knew. When his friend practically beamed at him, he felt assured he was making the right decision.

The Doctor looked about to say something, but then his eyes lighted on something over Jack's shoulder. "Ah, here she is now. Everything alright, Clara?"

"Yeah, just thought I'd wait and let you talk a bit," she answered, hopping back onto the stool. He was struck by how considerate the gesture was; she couldn't have known, of course, the rather emotional discussion they'd just had, but she clearly was very perceptive. The bartender seemed to notice Clara's return, and so brought over her drink. "Oh, lovely. Thanks."

Jack asked for another of his usual, and then turned to the Doctor. "You sure you don't want anything?" He'd stopped asking a while ago, but if any of them needed a drink right now, it was probably the Time Lord.

His friend shook his head. "No thank you. Designated driver, here."

"Even if it'd hardly make a difference," Clara remarked with a teasing smirk.

"Oh yeah? You think you'd be graceful then with those little arms?"

As they continued their banter back and forth with his own occasional interruptions, he watched as nearly all traces of his friend's misery faded away. And though he was sure most of it was just hidden under the surface, he couldn't help hoping that part of it was due to their company. At the very least, the Doctor wasn't alone.

OoO

Jack actually walked them back to the TARDIS this time, one arm hooked through Clara's and the other through the Doctor's, though technically they were leading him to the police box. He'd gotten a brief glimpse of the interior once before, but when the Time Lord snapped his fingers and the doors flew open, he couldn't help noticing how this time the lighting was much, much darker. Perhaps a reflection of the pilot's inner mood.

Still, he released the alien to give his full attention to Clara at the moment. "It was great to meet you, Clara? Think I'll see you around?"

She regarded him for a moment, then said slowly, "Don't know, I keep pretty busy," her eyes went briefly to the Doctor, "and my Wednesdays are all full."

"Shame, that's the best one," he sighed in mock disappointment, making her chuckle a bit again. She reached up and threw her arms around his shoulders briefly in a hug which he gladly returned.

"Then we'll have to pick another one, Captain. Goodnight." And with a last wave she disappeared into the console room.

The Doctor looked torn between hurrying after her to avoid some sort of farewell, or waiting for Jack to say something. Instead, he silently lifted his arms, this time letting his friend make the decision to seek his embrace. He was somewhat surprised by how quickly and tightly.

"I don't know what this is or why I keep coming back to you, Jack, and telling you all these things, but it's like now that I've started I can't stop, and I don't know what I'd do if you weren't there to just—"

"Hey," he softly interrupted the rushed, almost panicked babbling. "It's ok to need somebody. I know I can't be River, and I'd never try to be, but I'm here. Always will be, too."

The Doctor let out a shaky laugh at that, and once more pulled away. "So you will be, Jack. Thank you, I—thank you," he finished simply, and Jack reached out again to pat him on the shoulder.

"Don't mention it. Hope everything works out. Stop by, either way."

And at last his friend truly smiled. "Of course." He stepped into the police box and shut the door. As it wheezed and groaned and faded from sight, taking the Doctor and Clara with it, Jack walked away, glancing back only once it had gone.

He turned, back ramrod straight, and saluted the empty air. Then his shoulders slumped. "I'll make sure he's ok for you. Goodbye, River."

**So not very happy or festive. Terribly sorry, but that seems to be the nature of this series, one extreme to the other. At the least, Jack got to meet Clara. And yes, for the purposes of this series, this meeting is where Clara hears the name Professor Song, and is a plausible explanation for why the Doctor never said any more to her about it. The next update will be happier, but I'd love to hear what you all thought of this one. Thanks for reading and please review!**


End file.
